Wednesday, 18 February 2009

I don't think I've struggled with any post as much as I struggled with this. It took me 4 whole days & some hours to put up this tag. What so hard about putting up 25 random facts about the self you may wonder. All my post I’ve written till today are filled with random stuff & I’ve just about exhausted my quota.

Now the rules -

Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged.

You have to link the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. I maybe bursting at the seams but I never say no to dessert.

2. I’m a sucker for a sob story………..even if I don’t need the item the salesman is selling I end up buying it because I cant take the chance that his family will go without dinner if I didn’t buy something from him. or worse, he curses that I dont get dinner that night.

3. When I was in college the whole family got chicken pox. My father, mother & sister had it all over them like a rash. I got just 4 spots. So even now I’m not very sure I got chicken pox or not.

4. I had this 2 yr old cousin who used to bite everybody when he was teething. Every body except me. All were amazed & kept asking me the secret but I never divulged. My mom finally convinced me to spill……..whenever he began to sink his teeth into my skin, I used to apply the same amount of pressure with my fingers on his posterior. He got the message pretty fast for a 2 yr old. And nobody can accuse me of being partial. One of my kids also underwent the same treatment. The better half looked at me in bewilderment when he found out.

5. My father had an accident when I was around 8-9yrs old. A botch-up in the operation ensured that he took almost 1½ yrs to heal…..it seemed like he was on bedrest for ever. Though he was up & about after that he had to take it easy. So even before I finished school I had taken over all outdoor responsibilities…electricity bills, telephone bill, booking for cooking gas[no telephone at home at first, so we had to go the office & book for a cylinder], groceries, meat. I used to change bulbs, clean the water tank, do small repairs on appliances…….I even went to the police station 1 night to get my cousin out from the lockup. I didn’t mind it at all……anything but cooking.

6. My friends nicknamed me ‘Wriggler’ in college because I used to be very good at dodging & getting to the front of the traffic line on my bike.

7. My mother & I have heated ‘discussions’ whenever we get together but our love is not to be questioned when we are far apart….we beat up anybody who to tries to prove otherwise.

8. I love visiting places but I hate traveling. I suffer from car sickness, bus, air sickness but have no problems in an auto or train.

9. I never ever showed any interest in gardening except during exam times when digging up the entire garden with the pickaxe or watering the plants was so energizing & all that. And I marvel how I never realized how good I was with plants. As soon as the last exam is over I never give them another look until the next set of exams.

10. After great contemplation, I have decided not to go anywhere other than home country for the next decade……….I absolutely refuse to go anywhere out of the way, with kids who squabble every 5 minutes & pause just to ask “Have we reached?????” before continuing with their power struggles.

11. My best friend Neetu & I got exactly Rs. 24 everyday to get back home by auto after college. We went to Nilgiris everyday & had 2 packs flavoured milk worth Rs.8 & then walked another ¼km to catch an auto at a particular point & we reached home to a meter reading of exact Rs.16/-.

12. Everybody in the family knows my father is partial with me…..first-born & all that. He is proud of me & always talking about me to anybody who is willing to listen, but he will not speak with me directly, only through my mother. We have no issues with each other but it’s always been like that. If by chance he picks up my call when my mother is not around, after 1 minute of ummm is everything alright & how r u….we agree to call up when my mom is around. And no, I have no hang-ups about it…maybe if he loved me less I might have questioned him.

13. I enjoy hanging the washed clothes out on the terrace……I hang them neatly according to color, type[like all skirts together, shirts together…], & stand there for 2 mins & admire my handiwork after it is done…...all in the burning midday sun.14. If I don’t fall asleep immediately after hitting the bed….I always pick out my favourite daydream wherein I win a Million Dollars in a grand draw. I then start calculating how much I’ll donate to worthy causes……..maths always put me to sleep.

15. In school I pretended I had an elder brother called Nicholas who was living in the States. Even now I smile nostalgically whenever I think about him.

16. I love Enid Blyton books. Even now if I get hold of one anywhere I devour it. These are the only books which I can bear to read again & again & again.Harry Potter series are special but Enid Blyton books are something else.

17. Before I visit the parlour for a pedicure, I give my feet a scrub at home. I don’t want the parlour lady to think badly of me.

18. I got my 1st teddy bear at the age of 22………gifted to me by my best friend Neetu. I’ll never forget that. She is still there occupying a place of honour in my parents house…..the teddy bear I mean.

19. My sister was always known as Nancy’s sister for the 1st 15 yrs of her life. She got so mad about it & used to take it out on me. For once I never minded.

20. I give up…..its taken me 3 days to put this much together.

21. As I read the stuff I wrote above, I realize every single incident in my life has a long winded explanation behind it. Pity I didn’t use this ability to my advantage during exams.

22. It took me 6 months to find a pair of black jeans I liked…..rather which fitted well. By the end of 3 months I was heartily sick & tired of walking in & out of dressing rooms. But my better half was determined that I should get my black jeans. He would determinedly march me into every clothing store in a mall. Inbetween I felt like a mean pig for wondering whether he was settling some old scores.

23. I sometimes feel I was meant to do greater things like climb Mount Everest or maybe head an NGO. Infact I seriously feel the evil forces are pulling me down coz they recognize my capabilities & know if they let me be I may just change the world for the better.

24. I just realized that I was continuing with the tag even after having given up at the 20th random fact. Which proves my belief that every end is an excuse for a new beginning.

25. And I like happy endings………….whether its books, movies or real life.

I’m supposed to tag 25 people but between DeeplyDip & Goofy Mumma they have tagged almost everybody on my list so I TAG the few who have escaped their attention:

Wednesday, 11 February 2009

I got up with a beautific smile at the crack of dawn & the smile stayed that way as I made breakfast & packed lunch for the kids. The better half looked at me puzzled since I’m never in the best of moods before 9 in the morning. We walked past each other atleast thrice while doing our respective duties & the dreamy smile had not dimmed.

When he could no longer stand the suspense he asked “What’s with the smile???” so early in the day, was left unsaid.

I smiled secretively & wondered for a moment if I should reveal anything.

But 10 seconds later, he was still standing there…..and waiting.

"Guess who I dreamt about last night??????" I burst out in excitement.

He lifted his eyebrow.

“Mahendra Singh Dhoni” I beamed at him.

He looked taken aback for a moment.

“Of all the people in the world” He muttered & went back to whatever he was doing.

The smile dimmed a bit. Actually he had a point…..Dhoni never featured anywhere in my list of favourite people or crushes or anything. To be honest, celebrity or not I gave never him a thought. Yeah recently he’s been in the news for captaining the Indian cricket Team successfully, but that’s about how much information I have retained about him. Infact I'm quite surprised that I even knew his full name.

Now coming back to my dream, I dreamt that a handsome Dhoni came to stay at my neighbours place & we kept bumping into each other all the time & the air was steaming with our attraction for each other.

Once The husband walked in on us while we were talking & we guiltily sprang apart. Dhoni then wore his glares in a stylish maneuver[a la Rajnikant ishtyle] & left the scene quickly. The Husband looked at me suspiciously. He then went to the window, pulled the curtains apart & looked at the neighbouring terrace, muttering something irritatedly.

I went to look at what he was watching so intently.

“He is here with his people for a shooting” spat out The Husband angrily.

“Huh!!!! I thought Dhoni was a cricketer, not an actor” I thought in my dream, all confused.

"I am here shooting for that biscuit ad….u know, the second part for that ad in which I hold the sofa up to search for my keys” explains Dhoni to me, when we next met ‘by chance’ on the stairs.

“Oooh yes, I know the ad, you are a better actor than Sachin Tendulkar anyday” I rush to assure him.

But before anything interesting could materialise, the villainous husband was shaking me awake to attend to worldly matters.

After the kids left for school, I still walked around with that dreamy smile on my face irritating my better half to no end. Fully aware that it was beneath his dignity to show any kind of emotion, I took maximum advantage…….like humming a soppy hindi love song & walking on my toes. Holding himself a bit more stiffly than usual, the Better Half leaves for office.

My smile droops a bit....

“Of all the people, Dhoni” I thought wryly.

And then…..

Nancy smiles wickedly.

Hopefully this should spice up Valentine’s Day a bit!!!!!!!

Wishing all of U a very Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

p.s: The dream was true alright but I won’t deny that a bit of exaggeration was used to spice up the proceedings

Tuesday, 10 February 2009

I didn’t think I was going to put up the “Blog of the Week” so soon. But emergencies call for drastic measures.

"The Pink Chaddi Campaign kicked off on 5 February 2009 to oppose the Sri Ram Sena. The campaign is growing exponentially (4,500 at this point in the life of our Consortium of Pub-going, Loose and Forward Women) and that is not surprising. Most women in this country have enough curbs on their lives without a whole new franchise cashing in with their bully-boy tactics. Of course, a lot of men have joined the group as well."

Click on the link to find out more……….

And so my friends, here it is "The Blog of the Week":

“The Pink Chaddi Campaign”p.s: For my dear non Indian friends who are wondering what chaddi means, ummmm......it means underwear. And if U are wondering why, this is the reason. I have already put up a serious petition to oust these so called Moral Police on behalf of Piper 2 days back. Now its time to have some fun at their expense.

Monday, 9 February 2009

Since the post “How to Blog” elicited a lot of positive responses & mentioned several good points which I missed, I’ve decided to put up the comments verbatim as a post. I feel the points mentioned here are very good & will aid anybody who is into blogging, budding or otherwise.

Before you start reading the comments, a small note: My kind commentators view me with rose tinted glasses & so along with their input, they have also penned some nice things about me. I dont for 1 moment blame u if u dont want to wade thru all the material since u may not view it with the same pleasure I do. So to make things easier for you, I have highlighted the key details in BOLD so that u get to the point without further ado.

So here goes...

sindhu said... Oh, you hit on it, right when wrote a sad sad post...and you have it right, Nancy..Though at some time, it is also about letting go for some bloggers and then this is the right medium...But I agree, this is a medium to connect, ..and you do it brilliantly!05 February 2009 12:40

Sunshine said... aww see Nancy thats y you have 10-20 comments on each post of urs! coz ur brilliant! :Dthat was a good post...and actually its something I realized as well... only once I started interacting and connecting with people on their blogs did people start commenting on mine...! :) plus i think your real friends unless they r actively blogging themselves, r the laziest to comment on ur blog!! 05 February 2009 13:14

Rakesh said... Wow! Tips on Making your blog popular!!! Well I'll tell you this. I've been blogging since what, a year or even more. But if you see my archives, there were never any comments. My counter showed hits coz. i used to forward the link to all family and friends initially but no comments. And then, I started visiting other blogs and dropping comments on those I enjoyed, and suddenly everyone is dropping by my blog and enjoying what I say. Not that overnight I became more intelligent or more funny? But because, I increased visibility :) Thats the key word. No matter how good or bad you write, you won't get any readers if you don't go to their blogs and drop comments, thereby increasing visibility (and a sense of reciprocating comments). Seriously try this, for the next 6 months, don't drop a single comment on any other blog. You might keep your existing readers or maybe loose a few but you'll never add a single new reader.05 February 2009 14:33

Goofy Mumma said... I am hurt, I am seriously hurt, because you have called one of my favouritest blogs , no great shakes. Don't ever do that again. I think it is way too humble for you to go ahead and say something like that for your blog. You write so well N, I can never read a post of yours without a smile on my face. Your posts speak directly to me and I love them, that is the reason I am committed to commenting. Trust me!! And seriously, there are enough problems and issues in life, we all need a laugh, and that is what you provide. You have a talent with humour lady.05 February 2009 16:12

agnessaid... Good stuff Nancy! I so agree with the clutter-free light background & simple font. I can't read anything that's against a glittery animated background... it's like being in Las Vegas... and no music please :-)) Being a traveler at heart it's a little bit like traveling to me... ... when I am home I really miss the rest of the world, especially SE Asia and Europe... and I prefer real people to TV :-)05 February 2009 16:40

The Idle Devil said... Your posts are versatile and each one is a treasure! Esp when you do write moving stories (about your daughters, your neighbour), they do make me automatically go "awww" or cause a lump in my throat. Your list of items can help budding and experienced bloggers both... changing my template has made a world of difference to both my thoughts and those who read them.05 February 2009 17:13

My life is my lesson! said... Hi NancyThis should be helping many of us, and the reason you have so many comments is that whatever you write you put it in an interesting manner, appreciation guaranteed!:) 05 February 2009 17:45

sukku said... Thanks for sharing your thoughts on blogging ...you are such a sweet person...05 February 2009 18:17

naperville mom said... Were you talking about me, Nancy?:)Thank you for the tips... and the brilliant post! I wonder whether there's any better way than "I scratch your back and you scratch mine" kind of a deal... 05 February 2009 18:35

Winnie the poohi said... I am so late to reply.. i so had read it before.. did u by chance get 2 comments?If not here goes nothing..I love your blog not for its content.. but for how you put it forth.. I am guilty on so many counts.. most of my posts are full of rants!! Ah but you are my guardian angel!Remember the day I wrote about turning off comments?And since then mine has become popular step by step!I now have 14 followers.. can you believe that ?:D :D05 February 2009 23:31Anjuli said... excellent advice. And I beg to differ- you do write GREAT stuff- not inane in the least. When I come and read something of yours- I always get something wonderful and thoughtful to take with me. 06 February 2009 03:18

Bins said... As I understand it, it is a simple " U scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" scenario. When u begin to blog, we have take active interest and visit other blogs to get them to visit your page. Frankly, though I do feel sad there is just a comment or two, I am just not able to find the time to read even 5 blogs. I know that this is the only way to generate interest but..... sigh!Anyway, good points! Also, I feel that your blogs are really light-hearted. It is the same concept that I apply to watching movies. If when u are depressed, u watch a movie like Sadma, u are bound to come out of it even more depressed. So in that way, ur blogs are in a lighter vein and really ease the readers mind. Kudos to u!!06 February 2009 07:50

Piper .. said... hey Nancy, thanks much for the input. I guess I seriously need it. I remember you once commenting on an old,old post of mine. You said you were surprised it didnt have any comments :) Boy! was I touched! Since then, I always make it a point to comment on the posts I really like. Unless ofcourse,there`s absolutely nothing I can think of! And I have ended up making quite a few good friends in the process! I seriously have you to thank! Hugs06 February 2009 08:03

Renu said... very good post nancy and u always connect with everybody..i dont know how u dO it:)but after one yr of blogging, my take is ..write what you want because..comment..traffic and all that is a vicious circle..once u are trapped in it, you lose your individuality, and start writing according to the reader's perspective. Now i read many blogs ,but comment only when I have really something to say, otherwise i was loosing the meaning of..awesome:) Blog is an expression of my personality and it will remain so, I would anytime prefer genuine comments to the ones given for reciprocation or increasing the traffic:) 06 February 2009 08:33

WannabeWriter said... Agree with you on all points...and I am one of those who is weak on the connecting front. Partially, it is because I don't get time to read many blogs...and some times while blog hopping when I find an interesting one, I forget to save the link...:( But all said and done, I still think you have to write well and be regular to be popular!!!06 February 2009 12:01

DeeplyDip said... Hey Nancy you have been pretty irregular at blogging now-a-days, so when I read the title of this post, i thought to myself "here is the explanation she hasn't been writing too often!"...so there you go - a good catchy heading is another important factor in getting you hits to your blog... :)I agree with all the tips you've made in this post.And hey frequency of updates also brings in a lot of traffic...if the site/blog is updated on a regular basis, it will attract more readers... 06 February 2009 12:16

Deeps said... N, How can u say your posts are no great shakes??They always manage to shake me and with the outpourings of comments that I can see now and have been seeing in the past,its clear that you have an amazing quality of connecting with people. Earlier when I started blogging I never used to get much comments except from my friends and as much as I used to feel happy with their comments I used to feel dejected that my posts were not getting a wider reach. And then I started visiting other blogs and leaving comments just to make my presence felt.And boy!I was glad!more and more people started visiting me and sharing their inputs too. Not that I have ardent followers yet but its definitely better than before.Thank you so very much for that post,Nancy!06 February 2009 15:46

Indyeah said... I loved this post of yours, the very first one I read....:)came via Winnie's link...and you said it all so well...perceptive and touching..you are on my blogroll now:)06 February 2009 20:14

lan said... i will not deny that i absolutely love getting a comment yet i also agree with renu's observations above. i've seen many a good blog flounder under pressure to perform up to the reader's expectations. good news is, being strong writers and interested in blogging, most of them do bounce back. blog is a gentle and free media and i love its universal and global nature. leaving a comment is not that easy for me. you are of course an exception:-) it is the easiest to leave a comment if i can identify with a post, otherwise i skip after giving it some thought and not finding anything to say even if i appreciate being able to read it. as always, a good post.07 February 2009 08:51

I scribble here said... oh nancy! u dont have to be all that humble.. u write kickass and hence so many comments... I dont need to tell you this but have always looked forward to your postsbut u are right.. even i browse through some really well written blogs without any comments.Those pointers surely make a lot of sense. i have made my notes..and hey! i just updated my blog.. pls to read and comment :D07 February 2009 09:20

Solilo said... I think this is my post here and yes humor works every time :)):)) just like here. Now to the topic, I am a new blogger who started 2 months back. When I started it was meant to be just for me to scribble somethings whenever I wanted. Slowly when I started blog hopping I found comment interaction to be fun. I don't count of I get 5 or 10 or 20 comments but the comments from my favorite bloggers bring a smile. It is like you never get bored in among your friends.

The blogger formerly known as Sansmerci said... wow kewl job... i don religiously follow the first few points but the last one yes! and i guess thts the secret i get comments.. i ve noticed my comments reducing wen i don have time to chek other blogs :) so mostly people have been returning favors eh! :)D yo .. m here cos i jus wrote a post after weeks and people ve almost forgoten me... i kno i kno.. wat ur thinkin!08 February 2009 11:34

Datsme said... Wow! Words from the wise :)I know of some ppl who maintain blogs for professional purposes..Maybe I shud share this link with them :) "I scratch your back, you scratch mine" Someone wise said dis once about the blog world and i found it quite true.08 February 2009 12:25

Enigma said... hey nancy, ur blog is good okk...i enjoy reading it and that is y i keep visiting it...beleive me, i dont go back to blogs i dont njoy reading.... so enough of the humblesness :P and abt u telling abt the font and background etc is true...wen its bright pink and all its so tough to read, but u know what wat one of ur comments said was true, if u dont leave comments on other blogs and make urself visible, its true that our dont get seen too ...sad fact na08 February 2009 14:41

agnes said... One more thing. It also helps to post a picture of yourself so your readers get an idea of the "face behind the blog" ... :-))))OK I am just kidding. Actually, I think it's quite important to maintain a level of privacy (don't post your social security number etc) yet allow your personality to come through so your readers feel they "know" you. To me another factor is that while it's OK to abbreviate words some writers take it to a whole new level (a level where I can no longer recognize the words).

Indian Home Maker said... You are right, we do blog to connect, and loved your pointers ... I try to keep my blog clutter free,but invariably there is so much to read,there are so many blogs to read, one has to choose between replying or reading or writing new posts, and just when I think, no post today , some Ram Sena, or Vanar Sena does something ... Blogosphere is immensely distracting!09 February 2009 19:52

and finally once again

Deeps said... Nancy..just a thought. Why dont you mention those lesser-known blogs in your blogrolls or maybe you can mention them in this post itself?? That way we too will get to know about those gifted bloggers and inspire ourselves. What say?? I hope you didnt mind my saying this, do you??08 February 2009 10:30

Deeps comment appealed to me.......and I'm thinking of starting a "Blog of the Month" section which will feature a post of any blogger who inspires, makes me laugh or generally gives me information with his/her posts. What do U think??????? Going back to the topic "How to Blog", if anybody feels u have some more information we'd benefit from, please feel free to let me know, I'll be happy to add it to the list above.

Sunday, 8 February 2009

She says "I have arranged for the petition to be handed over personally to the NSG unit in charge of presidential security. They will ensure that it reaches the proper authorities. I,being in the army for 7 years, have managed a few contacts in delhi, if not anything else."

And I echo her words "I dont know if it's going to be of any help. But that uncertainty cannot prevent us from NOT voicing our opinions and dissent. Staying so far away from home, this is the least we can do."

Thursday, 5 February 2009

Sometimes when I go blog surfing I get to read such lovely posts. Posts which touch the heart, question the mind, warms the insides....... in short brilliant. But when I check their comment section, there will be just 1 or 2 comments.

I am surprised. Upset even. I mean....just 2 comments for this beautiful, beautiful post????? What a crying shame!!!!!!The blogger is so versatile that he/she should be writing books. Well ok atleast he is blogging, we can read his wonderful, imaginative thoughts in his posts and that too…….for free.

And this got me wondering how some blogs become more popular than others.......hehe….U knw I'm suddenly reminded of those Shanti Sagar & Darshini joints in B'lore........ they open those restaurants in any corner of the city & by the end of the week the whole town will knw abt its location and will be having their breakfast & lunch there like as if they have always been. The food is not the greatest but its filling & the price is reasonable. No advertising, no fancy decor, nothing but we don’t think twice about trooping in there.

Infact, I'm reminded of my very own blog in this instance........I’ll be the first one to admit that it is no great shakes.Ah now you don’t have to be all gracious & polite. You & I will agree that I write inane stuff most of the time………. about stooopid rats popping out of the drain ….. cutting nails on Tuesdays …….putting salt in my moms mouth and……andbungee jumping onto a mattress for Heaven's sake……and other dumb stuff. But guess what????? Even for pathetic stuff like this I get atleast 10-20 comments.

And on the other side, is a post which strikes a chord in my heart, brings a smile to my face, and makes me question myself but it is lost in the crowd somewhere.

Everyone of us like attention especially if it’s positive. We like to feel important. We like others to listen to us. Many of us blog to seek that attention, which we probably may not be getting from our immediate surroundings. So many others have interesting anecdotes to share. And some just want to be involved……to connect. Get my point????? Finally when it come right down to it, Blogging is all about Connecting, isn’t it???? We are all trying to reach out……. with our stories, experiences, knowledge……

Though I’m not the best person you should be taking tips from but I just feel I could help. So here are a few simple pointers to budding bloggers who genuinely want to connect:

# For starters, a light background & a clear font helps…….a lot. Often a fancy font or a bright pink background just distracts & you are judged by your reader even before they actually start reading the content. And believe it or not, punctuations like fullstops & commas also make a difference.

# There should be clarity in what you are trying to express. Our mind churns out lot of complicated stuff but that doesnt mean we pour it out just like that. What makes complete sense to you may not make any sense to your reader. And try not to use a lot of imposing phrases & intimidate your readers. They’ll think you are fundoo stuff & what’s worse they'll think it doesn't matter to you whether they comment or not.Seriously, you don’t need big, fancy words & grand sentences to put your point across. Your words need to touch the reader, make them feel for you or your cause, involve them even.

# Don’t pour out sad stories especially about I, Me, Myself & expect people to jump in & comment. Your friends may respond but it won’t win you many new readers except for an odd comment or two from agony aunts.

# Humour works everytime. Infact pour that same sad story out humorously & you’ll find many of us giving you innovative ideas on how you can drown your sorrows.

# Controversial topics also work……..to some extent. But not consistently. And you may be in danger of attracting the wrong type of crowd.

# But most importantly Connect……..go out & let people know You Exist. Works everytime. Just like how you want people to notice you, there are others out there waiting to be noticed & eager to reach out. Out of the 10 people on whose blogs you commented atleast 7 will respond. The ones who don’t respond could be Amitabh Bachchan[actually nowadays I’ve hrd even he responds], an established blogger who’s got more traffic coming in than he can handle or another blogger with a mindframe just like yours.

As of now I can think of only this much to get you started off. If you have a doubt don’t hesitate to ask……….I may not have the answer but you can bet on it I’ll find it out for you…….u see I have a lot of friends out here who’ll help me out.

And to my fellow bloggers I know I don’t have to say anything. If I have missed out on any vital points, I’m sure you’ll let me know.

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What Kind of a Blogger r U??

You are a social and responsible Blogger

You enjoy blogging and do all you can to advance the blogging community.
From helping friends set up blogs to getting rid of spam - you take a leadership role.
A super blogger, you tend to blog regularly. You'd hate to disappoint your audience.
And always appropriate, there's no way you'd blog something too personal!